


take flight, come near

by kiyala



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dragons, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-30
Updated: 2014-10-30
Packaged: 2018-02-23 06:01:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2536835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiyala/pseuds/kiyala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Combeferre is a dragonologist who runs a shelter and is trying to get unstuck with his research. His life doesn't quite turn upside-down when Courfeyrac bursts into his life with an injured dragon, but it's definitely different.</p>
            </blockquote>





	take flight, come near

**Author's Note:**

> This AU is based on [this](http://elfoftheforest.tumblr.com/post/92052364678/but-imagine-if-we-had-tiny-little-dragons-the) tumblr post - "imagine if we had tiny little dragons the size of puppies"
> 
> Also a belated birthday present for the most lovely [Sarah](http://embroideredcupcake.tumblr.com/)!

Combeferre's life is irrevocably changed without warning one afternoon, courtesy of a handsome stranger and an injured dragon. It's warm outside and the stranger's face is flushed and damp with sweat. The dragon in his arms is making a distressed sound and Combeferre rises to his feet immediately, only to notice that its distress isn't caused by the man at all. 

"I'm after the dragonologist," the stranger says, panting heavily. "I was told to go this way?"

"That's me." Combeferre walks closer, frowning at what he sees. The dragon is small and its left wing is broken. A closer look tells him that it's broken its left foreleg too. He moves to take it from the man, but notices that the dragon is clutching tightly to its saviour's thumb with its good claw. "Put it down on the table here and I'll see what I can do."

The dragon protests the moment the stranger tries to set it down. Combeferre moves to help, but the stranger strokes its head and coos. "It's alright sweetheart, I'm not leaving you alone, we're just going to let this nice man help you okay?"

It relaxes immediately, reluctantly letting go of the man's hand. Combeferre hums, impressed. "Is this your dragon?"

"Mine?" the man asks, like he's genuinely surprised by the notion. "No, I just… found him, all crumpled by the side of the road. There were a few birds picking on him so I chased them away and when I asked in the nearest town where I should take him, I was pointed here."

"Her," Combeferre corrects. He looks up, catching the man's eye, and then traces his finger along the ridges just behind the dragon's eyes. "She's a terrarius dragon, and the females are built bigger than the males, to defend their nests. See how these three ridges go down her back and combine into one? They'll harden as she grows up, until they're like armour plating. I'd wager that she's barely a month old at the moment." 

"You can tell all that by looking at her?" the man asks, amazed.

Combeferre smiles, even as he returns his attention to the dragon, examining her wing to work out the extent of the damage. "I _am_ a dragonologist. It's what I do." 

"Well. Thank you, Mr. Dragonologist. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"We'll need to splint her leg so it heals properly. You should be able to find some small enough for her in that top drawer over there, along with some bandages." Combeferre points in the right direction. "And you can call me Combeferre."

"I'm Courfeyrac," the man replies, walking over with the items and setting them down on the table beside Combeferre. "Is she going to be okay?" 

"She'll be fine. She's lucky you found her when you did. She wouldn't have been able to do very much to defend herself in this state and birds can be vicious when they find dragons smaller than them." Combeferre carefully touches her wing and hums to himself. "Her wing isn't too badly broken. It will heal fine if we bandage it. Do you want to help?"

Courfeyrac nods, following all of Combeferre's instructions, murmuring a mixture of praise and comfort to the dragon all the while. She chirps at him when they're done, and Courfeyrac smiles fondly.

"Are you going to keep her?" Combeferre asks, watching as Courfeyrac strokes his finger over the ridges on her back.

"Can I?" Courfeyrac looks up with surprise. "Is there any paperwork I have to do? I… don't really know anything to do with caring for dragons, actually. I'm from the city and…"

"Right." Courfeyrac doesn't need to say any more. Combeferre is well aware of the way dragons are viewed in metropolitan areas, knows how they twist his research to strengthen their arguments for making cities not only uninhabitable for dragons but downright dangerous for them. 

"But that's why I left," Courfeyrac says, clearly understanding the expression on Combeferre's face. "I'd _like_ to learn. If you would teach me?"

Combeferre smiles at that. "I can teach you plenty about dragons. I'm afraid it's not something I can teach you in one afternoon, though. It's going to require days, and it depends very heavily on the kind of relationship you build with the dragon in question."

"Well, I'm in no rush to get anywhere," Courfeyrac shrugs, smiling. "I'm travelling in between places right now with no real destination in mind. I'd probably like to stay nearby until this poor little girl heals completely anyway. I could find a place in town—"

"There's a guest room here," Combeferre says without thought. Courfeyrac blinks at him in surprise. Combeferre presses on, because he can't exactly withdraw the offer. "You could stay with us. I can keep an eye on your dragon as she heals, to make sure everything's going well."

"Us?" Courfeyrac repeats, raising an eyebrow.

Combeferre huffs out a quiet laugh. "This is a dragon sanctuary. I know it doesn't look like much from the front, but it's big. I study dragons as a profession, but I take care of them outside of that. Between the strays and the injured ones I'm treating, I think I have something like twenty of them here at any given time."

Courfeyrac's eyes go wide with wonder. "No way."

"In fact, you could probably do a bit of your learning hands-on while you're here. A bed to sleep in and food to eat, in exchange for helping out around here. Sound fair?"

"Sounds like a dream come true," Courfeyrac replies. "How long? A week?"

"I'll say two. That should give your dragon plenty of time to heal properly as well, and I _do_ have a lot of work to do. I can't promise you my full attention, but I'll do my best in my free time."

"Two weeks," Courfeyrac confirms with a nod. "Thank you. I… parked my car outside of town and ran here. I'll just go and bring it over here."

"Driveway's on the left," Combeferre tells him. "Just leave your car anywhere over there. I'll watch your dragon for you."

" _My dragon_ ," Courfeyrac repeats, grinning like he can't quite believe it. "I'll be back soon, okay sweetie? You stay here with Combeferre for a bit. He's very nice."

Combeferre turns away to hide his smile, but he has a feeling that Courfeyrac catches it on his way out anyway.

:·:

Courfeyrac parks his car beside the four-wheel drive that he assumes belongs to Combeferre. He's been travelling for nearly a month now, but in that time he's learned to travel light. He doesn't have much with him beyond his clothes and toiletries and they all fit into a bag that's easy enough to carry inside. He leaves it by the door, not quite sure where else to put it, and walks further inside, to the table where he left Combeferre and the dragon.

When he gets there, he freezes in his tracks. There are two more dragons around the table, and Combeferre is talking to them gently.

"—No, I don't know her name. Eva, stop poking your nose at her like that, it's rude. Alex, sit down." 

The dragon hovering in the air over Combeferre's shoulder lowers itself onto the table, leaving some distance between itself and the injured dragon. Combeferre strokes its back fondly.

"That's a good boy. She's younger than you, actually. You're not the baby of the pack any more."

"Are these yours?" Courfeyrac asks, making Combeferre freeze up before he turns around.

"Um." Combeferre adjusts his glasses unnecessarily. "Yeah. The rest are just shelter dragons, but these three are mine."

"Three?" Courfeyrac asks, frowning, and then notices the tiny orange shape sitting on Combeferre's shoulder. "Oh, wow. Was that one always there without me noticing?"

"He's shy, so he was hiding in my pocket before." Combeferre laughs quietly, lifting his shoulder and holding his hand to it, so the small dragon can climb onto his fingers. "This is Oberon. I found him when I was about fourteen, which makes him my oldest. He's the whole reason I started wanting to study dragons in the first place."

"Oberon," Courfeyrac repeats with a smile.

"I wanted to name him something impressive. I didn't realise back then that he'd stay this size."

"King of the fairies," Courfeyrac murmurs, walking to the table. His dragon chirps happily at him, nuzzling into his hand. "Very impressive. Maybe I should name you Titania then, hm?"

With another chirp, his dragon clutches onto his thumb with her good claw. 

"She seems to like it," Combeferre comments, watching her fondly. "This is Alex on the table. He's my youngest, and the first I hatched from an egg. This one standing next to the table is Eva."

"She's a caballus dragon," Courfeyrac realises, his eyes going wide. He turns to Combeferre, and the niggling sense of familiarity finally clicks into place. "You're _that_ Combeferre! You discovered the caballus breed, the biggest dragons alive!"

Combeferre coughs. "Well, I didn't _discover_ her so much as she fell out of a tree and into my arms, nearly knocking me out in the process. But yes, I was the one who classified her and I'm leading the research on her particular breed."

"Is it true that they can breathe fire?" Courfeyrac asks, picking Titania up into his arms and walking over to take a closer look at Eva. 

She's roughly the size of a foal and her legs resemble that of a horse, except for the fact that they end in claws instead of hooves. Her wings are leathery and folded by her sides and instead of a horse's mane, she has a series of blunt spines. She's a mottled brown with large eyes and she shuts them happily as Courfeyrac pats her. 

"The fact that they breathe fire is true," Combeferre says with a sigh. "I'm trying to study that at the moment, actually. It's not going well."

"Why?" Courfeyrac grins. "Don't tell me she keeps setting everything on fire."

"I _wish_ I had that problem. I can't get her to breathe fire at all. I've seen her do it, when I first met her, but since then… nothing. We don't even have enough research to figure out whether it's something that they grow out of or if there's something wrong… my research into the area is a standstill and it's frustrating."

Courfeyrac frowns. "That's completely different to what I've heard in the city."

"The city," Combeferre scoffs, "is more than willing to paint dragons as senseless monsters who wander around destroying everything in their path. They couldn't be further from the truth. Their loss, really."

"Yeah," Courfeyrac agrees. "Definitely. Dragons are _beautiful_."

"And intelligent and caring and so much more than that," Combeferre adds. "They don't make _pets_ , but they're wonderful companions. They're capable of being independent and the fact that they choose to let us into their lives is so incredibly humbling. It's something that so many people just take for granted." 

Courfeyrac grins, hugging Titania a little closer to him. He likes the fact that Combeferre is so passionate about what he's doing. 

"I'll show you around the rest of the shelter too, if you'd like," Combeferre offers. "I have a friend who usually comes over for dinner, but I don't have to start preparing for another hour. I'm not getting anywhere with my work right now, so I think a break would do me some good."

True to Combeferre's word, his property is much bigger than it looks from the outside. The house itself is wide, but it opens into a large field behind it and there are habitats built all over the area, with dragons sunning themselves on rocks or climbing trees, or chasing each other. 

Courfeyrac is utterly amazed. Most of the dragons are friendly, coming up to greet Combeferre as he approaches and cautiously doing the same with Courfeyrac, warming to him as soon as he pats them. Combeferre fills the food trays as Courfeyrac watches and they back off as the dragons crowd around them to eat.

"I'll give you another chance to make your decision," Combeferre says, once they're back inside and he's pulling food out to make dinner for them. "Are you sure you want to stay?"

Courfeyrac laughs. "Are you kidding? Of course I do. This is the most wonderful place I've ever seen!"

That makes Combeferre smile broadly, and it's a stunning smile that makes Courfeyrac's breath catch in his throat. He turns away, coughing quietly. 

"I'll show you to your room," Combeferre says, walking over to pick up Courfeyrac's bag. "You can shower while I'm making dinner. Take your time and relax. You must have had a tiring day."

"Not every day you save a dragon," Courfeyrac replies and then grins. "Except it might be, for you."

"Not _every_ day, thankfully. Bathroom's just down that hall over there. Just yell out if you need anything, okay?"

Courfeyrac takes his time showering, standing under the warm spray and letting his muscles relax. He isn't used to running as much as he had earlier, when he was searching for someone to help Titania. She's curled up on top of his clothes at the moment, dozing as she guards them, having refused to leave his side. It's amazing just how attached he is to her already, even though he's only known her for a few hours. He can't even imagine how close Combeferre must be to Oberon, after so long together. 

By the time he gets out of the shower and changes, Combeferre's guest is already there. He's blond and is so beautiful that he would look intimidating if not for the fact that he has a black, long-bodied dragon draped across his shoulders and is laughing as Combeferre gives another dragon a belly rub.

"Oh, Courfeyrac," Combeferre greets, looking up at him with a smile. "This is Enjolras. That's Claudia over his shoulders, and this is Raphael. He's a terrarius too, you see what I mean about the ridges?"

Raphael rolls back over as Courfeyrac walks closer. Instead of the three ridges growing on Titania's back, he only has one and it's much smaller. He flicks his tongue in the air as he notices Titania and she shifts in Courfeyrac's arms to peer down at him.

"He's friendly," Enjolras says, giving Raphael a little nudge. "He'll be gentle with yours—he's been around plenty of injured dragons here before."

"And Claudia?" Courfeyrac asks. 

Enjolras smiles, bringing his hand up to stroke her scales, but it looks a little forced. When Courfeyrac glances at Combeferre, he's frowning. He decides not to push.

"Dinner," Combeferre decides. There are trays on the other side of the room and he fills them with food for the dragons before washing his hands and bringing their food out. 

Enjolras, as it turns out, also works with dragons, but instead of doing research, he lobbies for the ethical treatment of dragons.

"I used to work for a more specialised unit," Enjolras tells him as they eat. "We'd actually track down people who were mistreating their dragons and rescue them—most of them went to Combeferre, actually, but…"

Enjolras glances in Claudia's direction with the same sad smile on his face as before. Combeferre's frown returns, but then it's gone again before Enjolras can see it. 

"There's a story there," Courfeyrac says, once Enjolras has gone home with his dragons. 

Combeferre hums noncommittally. "It's not mine to tell."

"Claudia wasn't always his," Courfeyrac guesses. 

The neutral expression on Combeferre's face softens into something sadder. "No, she wasn't. We didn't think her owner would leave, but…"

Courfeyrac sighs, not knowing what to say. 

"I'm going to read for a while before bed," Combeferre changes the subject. "I'll be in the lounge room. There's a fireplace there that the dragons love to huddle in front of, if you and Titania would like to join us."

"I'm going to hazard a guess that you probably have books on dragons that I can borrow," Courfeyrac replies with a grin.

"How did you guess?" Combeferre laughs softly. "I should have one about terrarius dragons too. That might be relevant to your interests."

"You know," Courfeyrac tells him, once they've settled down on the couch with the dragons lying between them. "I've read your research before. Bits and pieces, because I didn't really understand the more technical side of things. You're kind of famous."

Ducking his head with an embarrassed smile, Combeferre shakes his head. "Not really."

"You're a _dragonologist_ , don't try and tell me that's not the most awesome thing ever. You know, you'd be even more popular if you made a video channel. You could probably teach people about dragon care, and Enjolras could collaborate with you too, so he can get his point across about how to treat dragons properly. It'd be a great way to combat all the misinformation that gets spread in the city."

Combeferre hums in thought. "Maybe. I'll think about it."

"Let me know when you do," Courfeyrac says, opening his book. "I'll start the fan club."

He thinks he might see a faint blush on Combeferre's brown skin, but it's probably just the fire.

:·:

"Are you sure you don't want to breathe fire today?" Combeferre asks, stroking Eva's back. "Not even a little bit?"

Eva turns away from him and he sees her chest expand as she takes a deep breath. He should know better than to hope, because he's seen this too many times to know that it's going to work. Even so, he can't help but feel his heart sink a little when all she manages is a cough.

"It's alright," Combeferre sighs, scratching under her chin. "We'll figure it out eventually. We just need to keep trying."

Courfeyrac is running around the field and laughing, playing tag with a handful of dragons. One of them leaps into the air, catching him in a flying tackle. From her spot beside Combeferre and safely away from the running dragons, Titania huffs. 

"Don't you worry," Combeferre murmurs, reaching out with his other hand to pat her too. "He knows he's yours. He's just being friendly. He's very likeable, isn't he?"

She chirps at him, nuzzling into his hand. 

"I suppose he's like that with everyone," he says, mostly to himself, and picks her up as he gets to his feet. "Come on, let's go save him before he's roped into playing with them all day."

Courfeyrac is lying on the grass, covered in dragons and laughing in delight. He smiles in greeting when he sees Combeferre approach and sits up. "Are you joining us?"

"Sadly, no." Combeferre leans over the dragons, offering Courfeyrac a hand up. "I'm going to go visit a friend across town. Would you like to come with me?"

"And just leave these guys alone?" Courfeyrac asks, looking around at the dragons even as he takes Combeferre's hand. "Can we do that?"

"They can entertain themselves," Combeferre's fingers close around Courfeyrac's, but he doesn't pull. "They know better than to wander off, because it's safe for them here."

"Good point." Courfeyrac uses Combeferre's hand to help himself up. "Oh, you brought Titania over too. Thank you."

"She was getting jealous," Combeferre comments, smiling. "She can't play with you just yet like the other dragons can. I don't think she likes that very much."

"Oh, sweetheart," Courfeyrac coos, lifting Titania up to sit on his shoulder. She settles there with a content noise, wrapping her tail around his shoulder to hold her in place. "Don't you worry, you're still my favourite. I'll find a game we can play without making you move too much, okay?"

Titania chirps happily at him and Combeferre turns away to hide his fond smile. He whistles, calling both Eva and Alex over.

"We're going to go visit Bahorel and Leo, okay? You two stay here. Eva, you're in charge. Keep the kids out of trouble."

Eva puffs her chest up and Courfeyrac laughs, scratching under her neck before bending down to pat Alex before they leave.

"So, who are Bahorel and Leo?" Courfeyrac asks as they walk.

"Friends," Combeferre replies. "Leo is another caballus, like Eva. He's younger than Eva is and I'm not quite sure how Bahorel got him, but I have my suspicions that Enjolras and Gr—that Enjolras was involved."

"And you're hoping that Leo's had more luck with the fire-breathing," Courfeyrac guesses.

"Pretty much. It's handy having Leo around, so I can cross-check any discoveries I make with Eva. And, well, considering that humanity has hunted caballi because they're big enough to be considered threatening, and they breathe fire? We're hoping that once they both grow old enough, we can do something about the dwindling population."

"You're amazing, you know that?" With a quiet, awed laugh, Courfeyrac shakes his head. "You do so much, and you know so much."

Not knowing how to reply but not wanting to shrug it off either, Combeferre simply smiles. Courfeyrac bumps their shoulders together companionably and at least Combeferre knows how to deal with that, responding in kind but taking care to be gentle so that he doesn't jostle Titania. Courfeyrac's laughter is infectious and for the entire walk across town, Combeferre finds he can't get the grin off his face.

Feuilly is a teacher at the local school, along with both Jehan and Bahorel. The three of them live together and as school is out for two weeks, they're enjoying their break. Jehan is the first to notice Combeferre approaching, because they're tending to the garden. Their dragon, Byron, is helping them, plodding about the garden on his short legs and pulling weeds out with his teeth. 

"Combeferre!" Jehan greets cheerfully. "Oh, and you brought a guest with you!"

"I'm Courfeyrac," he introduces himself before Combeferre even opens his mouth to speak. "Nice to meet you. This is Titania. Is this your dragon? He looks like a… mansuetus? Did I say that right?"

The last bit is directed over his shoulder as he turns to Combeferre. He's biting his lip with a hopeful look in his eyes and the fact that he's already using what he'd learned from reading last night makes a strange warmth blossom in Combeferre's chest. 

"Yeah, that's right. You picked up on the sexual dimorphism, too. Great work." 

Courfeyrac beams, and Jehan raises an eyebrow with a small smile of their own.

"Courfeyrac found Titania when she was injured," Combeferre says, suddenly feeling the need to explain himself. "So he brought her to me. He's from the city, so I'm letting him stay with me while she heals and he learns how to take care of her."

"Oh, I see." Combeferre thinks he might detect a hint of teasing in Jehan's voice, but they always sound amused by everything in life, so it's a little difficult to tell. He pushes it out of his mind, clearing his throat. "Is Feuilly in? I was dropping by to see how Leo is doing."

"Still not breathing fire, if that's what you're hoping for," Jehan says, putting their gardening basket down and going to the door, opening it for them. "But come in and stay a while anyway. Bahorel was baking cupcakes."

"Ooh, cupcakes! Come on, Titania."

Combeferre hangs back, letting Courfeyrac go inside first before following him. The smile is back on Jehan's lips, but Combeferre can't blame them. Courfeyrac is an incredibly likeable person. Enjolras liked him immediately, and it only makes sense that everyone else would too.

Bahorel and Feuilly are both in the kitchen, crowded against the bench as they kiss. Courfeyrac is hovering awkwardly and Jehan laughs loudly.

"Excuse my boyfriends," they say fondly, walking into the kitchen and squeezing Feuilly's arm on their way to the oven to peer inside. "The cupcakes are nearly done. Bahorel, help me make coffee?"

"Sure." Bahorel pecks Jehan on the lips before starting up the coffee machine. "Hey Combeferre. And…"

"Courfeyrac. Hi, sorry we dropped by without warning."

Feuilly wipes his mouth on the back of his hand and clears his throat, walking over to Combeferre. "How's the research going?"

"Slowly." Combeferre smiles as Leo wanders into the room. "Wow, he's getting bigger."

"Nowhere near as big as Eva," Feuilly replies, and there's a fond look to his eyes as he strokes Leo's back. "I'm having no luck with getting him to breathe fire, but considering how many papers I usually have around the house to grade, I'm probably not as disappointed about that as you might be."

Chuckling, Combeferre crouches down to pat Leo, receiving an affectionate head-butt in return. "That's alright. I'll take his measurements as usual, in case it helps later."

Courfeyrac is in the kitchen, chatting with Jehan and Bahorel as he helps them make the coffee. He's met Bahorel's dragon, which he's correctly identified as another female vipera, like Claudia. Combeferre glances over his shoulder as he winds his measuring tape back up once he's done with Leo. Feuilly catches him, raising his eyebrow with a smirk.

"What?" Combeferre asks, getting back to his feet.

"Nothing," Feuilly shrugs, but the smirk doesn't go anywhere. "Absolutely nothing."

:·:

The first week of Courfeyrac's stay passes remarkably quickly. He's amazed at how much he's learned, and how easy it's been. Combeferre is a wonderful, patient teacher and Courfeyrac can't help the swell of pride he feels every time he's praised.

Titania's wing and foreleg have healed well, which Courfeyrac is grateful for. Combeferre removes the casts exactly a week after Courfeyrac's arrival, and Titania chirps happily as she flaps her healed wing. She springs onto Courfeyrac's shoulder, nuzzling him fondly, without needing to be picked up for the first time since they met each other. Courfeyrac kisses the top of her head and shuts his eyes, laughing as she gnaws on his ear gently. 

"Ow, not too hard, sweetheart. Your teeth are sharp, you know."

"Oberon does that to me," Combeferre chuckles. "He used to gnaw on the hair just over my ear, which is why I keep the back and sides shaved now. Not that it really stops him. He just sits on top of my head and chews on the hair there."

"You're both so adorable," Courfeyrac murmurs, shaking his head fondly. 

Combeferre clears his throat quietly, picking Oberon up off his shoulder. "Hey buddy, do me a favour and take Titania for a short fly around the place? She needs to exercise her wing, but I'm going to trust you to make sure she doesn't tire herself out, okay?"

Oberon flies up to nuzzle against Combeferre's cheek before leading Titania out of the room. Courfeyrac watches them go before turning back to Combeferre.

"Shouldn't we go watch too?"

"Oberon will manage just fine," Combeferre replies, shutting the door behind them. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh." Courfeyrac stands a little straighter, his heart suddenly beating at double time. "Okay. What did you want to talk about?"

Rubbing a hand over his stubble, Combeferre sighs, eyes darting to the door once again. "I need to ask a favour. I'm getting a—dragon sample, from one of my colleagues. One of the dragons he looks after died recently, and he asked if I'd like to take a look at it, for my research."

"…Oh," Courfeyrac replies, not sure why he feels so disappointed. He isn't quite sure what he was expecting. "Right."

"And, understandably, the dragons don't like it. They get uneasy around… dead dragons, so I was hoping that you could take care of them for me while I do my research. I'll shut myself inside the lab and all you need to do is keep them out of the house until I'm done. It should only take a few hours."

"Even Oberon?"

"Yeah. He likes you, which is not something I say lightly, by the way. He's shy, but he trusts you."

"That means a lot," Courfeyrac says softly. "Of course I'll do it. Anything to help, you know that."

Combeferre's smile is warm as always. "I do. Thank you."

The sample arrives the next morning, and Courfeyrac is already out in the field playing with the dragons, keeping them far away from the house. He doesn't particularly want to see the dragon either, which serves as added motivation for him. 

There's a pond on the other side of the property, most likely made by Combeferre himself, like most of the structures around the place, and the less mobile dragons spread themselves out on rocks near there, sunning themselves under Oberon's watchful eye, while the others play with Courfeyrac.

Titania flies just as well as the rest of them and it fills Courfeyrac with pride whenever she's the one to catch him as they play tag. She and Eva work together to tackle him to the ground, and he's lying there, cuddling them both, when he sees Enjolras approach.

"Good afternoon," Enjolras greets, as Raphael runs to the join the rest of the dragons in their games. "Do you mind if we join you?"

"Not at all." Courfeyrac sits up. "Combeferre's a little busy at the moment."

"I know, which is why we're out here instead of inside." Enjolras sits down beside him. Claudia is still coiled around his shoulders and doesn't look like she has any intention of leaving him. Enjolras' hand rests on her back and Courfeyrac can't tell whether it's to hold her in place, or as a source of comfort. "Thought I'd drop by and see how you're doing with the dragons. You're learning quickly."

"Thanks to Combeferre." 

"You need to give yourself more credit," Enjolras tells him. "You're clearly passionate about dragons, and Combeferre's mentioned that you've been a big help to him here. He also told me that you're currently travelling without any real destination. Have you thought about what you're going to do, once you stop staying with him?"

Honestly, Courfeyrac hasn't give it much thought at all. He doesn't particularly like dwelling on the thought that the day will come when he won't see Combeferre and all the dragons any more, or that it's coming sooner than he's comfortable with. He sighs, watching as Titania plays with Raphael. "I haven't thought about much, beyond the fact that I'm keeping Titania."

"Well, it's a start." Enjolras pauses in thought before he glances at Courfeyrac. "You know, we could always do with more people fighting for dragon rights. If you don't have anywhere else to go, and if you care about dragons as much as I think you do… I thought I'd give you something to think about. You don't have to leave."

Claudia whines softly and Enjolras turns to her, pressing his cheek against her side and murmuring an apology. Courfeyrac watches them curiously, not sure what to make of what he sees. 

Enjolras notices, giving him a smile that slips into something sadder. "Claudia has separation anxiety."

"Is that because—" Courfeyrac begins, and stops himself. Combeferre hasn't told him much, but he doesn't think Enjolras would appreciate Courfeyrac coming to his own conclusions.

"Because she wasn't originally mine," Enjolras finishes for him, nodding. "She was my—partner's dragon. We worked together, back when we saved mistreated dragons and re-homed them. He was…"

"More than a colleague?" Courfeyrac hazards. Enjolras doesn't reply, but his expression says enough. "Do you mind if I ask what happened? I mean, it's none of my business, but he didn't…?"

"He left," Enjolras says, his voice a little harder than it was before, with the anger that lies beneath the pain. "He left me. He left _us_ , and he left Claudia behind."

"How?" Courfeyrac breathes. 

Enjolras shakes his head, his lips pursed together. Even if he does have an answer, it's not for Courfeyrac to hear. "I'll be honest. It's part of the reason I want you to stay. The dragons will miss you terribly, and… I think everyone you met will, too. Especially Combeferre."

"That's different," Courfeyrac mutters. "Different to you and your partner. We work together, and just barely even that."

Enjolras doesn't reply, and Courfeyrac is saved from having to justify himself any further when he notices Combeferre on the other side of the field. 

"Oh." Courfeyrac gets to his feet. "It looks like Combeferre's done."

He crosses the field and is only beaten by Oberon, who is cuddling up against the curve of Combeferre's neck to make up for their time apart. 

"You look exhausted," Courfeyrac realises. "You should have stayed inside. Come on, we're going in. Enjolras? Can you take Combeferre inside while I round the dragons up?"

"Look at you, taking charge," Combeferre comments, smiling at Courfeyrac.

"You look like you can barely stand. How much did you overwork yourself to get everything done in such a short amount of time? You need to take better care of yourself."

"If you're done fussing over him," Enjolras interrupts, grinning at them both, "I'll make sure he gets inside without falling over."

Combeferre and Courfeyrac both take half a step away from each other. Clearing his throat, Courfeyrac nods at them and sets about gathering all the dragons so they can go back to their usual habitats just by the house.

By the time Courfeyrac finishes rounding them all up, making sure they've all settled back down before going inside, Combeferre and Enjolras are in the middle of a hushed discussion.

"I'm not doing it, Enjolras," Combeferre is saying, a little forcefully. "I'm not doing that to myself, or him. This isn't like you and Grantaire. I _know_ he's going to leave."

Courfeyrac freezes at the door, counting to five to make himself push it out of his mind so he doesn't try to pick apart what he's heard and doesn't _dare_ to hope. He shuts the door loudly enough that they hear him, and the conversation immediately stops. He ignores that, as much as he can, and walks towards the dining table where they're both sitting, giving them a smile.

"I've decided I'm going to cook, because _you're_ not getting up, and Enjolras, I know there's probably a good reason you come _here_ for dinner every day instead of the other way around." 

"I'd argue," Enjolras says, "but you do have a point."

"…And Eva and Titania can help," Courfeyrac says, when the two of them wander over to his side. "If you promise to be on your best behaviour, girls."

Titania keeps her distance, especially when Courfeyrac gets the knives out to chop vegetables. Eva is unimpressed by them, much more interested in all the ingredients that Courfeyrac is measuring out.

"Darling, you might not want to stand so close," Courfeyrac warns, pulling bowls closer to the middle of the bench. Eva is tall enough that she can reach the things closer to the edge, and he's a little too slow to stop her from getting her snout into the bowl of flour he'd measured out. "Oh no, Eva…!"

The bowl tips, spilling flour all over her and the floor. Combeferre is already on his feet, walking closer to help, when Eva sneezes.

Except she doesn't quite _sneeze_. A small burst of flame comes out of her mouth, then another. They're not big enough to do any damage, but Courfeyrac feels the sudden warmth both times. Combeferre is frozen in place, just three paces away from his dragon, his eyes wide. 

Enjolras is the first to recover. "That was fire. I didn't just imagine that. She actually breathed fire."

"She did." Combeferre kneels in front of her, not caring that he's kneeling in the spilled flour. "Oh, Eva, I knew you could do it. Good girl."

Eva snorts, nuzzling against Combeferre's chest. She looks just as surprised as the rest of them and that's when it hits Courfeyrac.

"It's involuntary," he says, looking at Combeferre for confirmation. "That's why you were having so much trouble with it before. She can't breathe fire because she _wants_ to. It's a natural response to things. Just like sneezing."

" _Yes_. Courfeyrac, you're so brilliant. I'll have to test the hypothesis, but this means that I can actually design experiments now. I'm finally unstuck."

"You're exhausted," Courfeyrac says as sternly as he can manage. "You are not going anywhere until you eat your dinner and rest. And please don't overtax that wonderful mind of yours either. You'll need it for later, once you have some of your energy back."

"Of course," Combeferre continues, "now I have to figure out what kind of environment I can put Eva in that will cause her to breathe fire again. The most obvious one is to put her with something that frightens her, to see if she breathes fire as a defence mechanism, but I'm not doing that to her. I'm not going to do anything that will cause a fear response, not if I can help it."

"This doesn't sound like _resting_ to me," Courfeyrac mutters. "…But maybe you could arrange a situation in which she's the predator? I mean, caballi are bound to have natural prey, right? Maybe she'd display the same behaviour when hunting?"

"You," Combeferre declares, rising to his feet, "are _brilliant_ , Courfeyrac. I could kiss you."

Courfeyrac's eyes go wide and Combeferre presses his lips together into a thin line, turning away with an embarrassed look. Enjolras coughs, and it sounds like he's covering up a laugh.

"Well," Courfeyrac says calmly. "You can if you like, but that's not going to distract me from the fact that _you need to be resting_. No research until tomorrow. Then you can throw yourself into your work as much as you like. Deal?"

Dusting the flour off his pants, Combeferre smiles at Courfeyrac. "Yeah, okay. Deal."

:·:

True to his word, Combeferre waits until the next day before he begins his research. When he does, however, he throws himself into it. This is a development he's been waiting on for a long time but even so, he can't help but to feel guilty about the fact that he barely has any spare time to give to Courfeyrac any more. If he's not taking care of the dragons at the shelter, then he's designing experiments, or explaining them to Eva, or trying to figure out how he's actually going to conduct them.

The good thing about dragons, Combeferre thinks to himself, is that they understand humans much better than other animals. The scenarios he's setting up with Eva are completely different from what would happen in the wild and he's aware of that, but it also doesn't quite matter to his research right now. He's more interested in the actual flames produced and their effect. 

He's already called Feuilly to let him know of his findings so far, and to arrange to run similar experiments with Leo later to make sure that what he's seeing with Eva is consistent across caballus dragons. The only problem is that the only records he has on caballi are of domesticated ones. He doesn't doubt that at their size, they would be able to hunt large animals, but he doesn't quite know what and isn't willing to guess, in case he guesses wrong.

"Maybe pigeons?" Courfeyrac suggests, when he brings Combeferre coffee and hears him vent. "I mean, at their size, they'd probably just be a snack to Eva, but they fly around—maybe she'll have to breathe fire to make them stop? I mean, it's probably going to be easier to source a pigeon for her to hunt than something else, right?"

"You're good at this," Combeferre murmurs with a smile, leaning into Courfeyrac's side for a brief moment before he pulls himself back. "I'm sorry that I'm not spending as much time with you as I promised—"

"You just promised me your free time," Courfeyrac interrupts, shaking his head. "Which you don't have very much of right now, for understandable reasons. That's definitely not something you need to be apologising for."

"Still… I don't suppose I could persuade you to stay for longer? Perhaps another week?" Combeferre asks, before he can quite stop himself. "I mean—that is to say, I do appreciate your company, and I'm sure that after I do these initial tests, I'll have a bit more time to spend with you and Titania. Data analysis is never quite as exciting as running the actual experiments."

"But just as necessary, I'm guessing." Courfeyrac smiles, squeezing Combeferre's shoulder. "Yeah. I'll stay another week if you want me to."

"I do," Combeferre replies honestly. "I like having you here, and I've been wanting to spend some time with you now that Titania is out of her casts."

"I can wait. You just focus on your work right now, okay? I'll be back in a while to call you for lunch."

Eva is watching Combeferre with an unblinking stare as Courfeyrac leaves. He sighs, scratching under her chin. "Not you too."

She snorts quietly, resting her chin on his shoulder. He strokes her neck and sits up a little straighter. "Okay, let me have another look at you."

He's spent a large part of the morning trying to see if he can work out what actually produces the flames. Eva opens her mouth obligingly, and Combeferre uses his phone to snap a few more photos in case they'll help later, but he isn't feeling overly optimistic about it. There isn't much he can understand about caballi physiology without dissecting and that's not something he wants to think about any time soon, which is exactly why he's focusing on the flames they produce instead.

Or trying to. 

He calls Joly, who runs a research lab much bigger than what he has at his shelter. "So, I might have made a breakthrough with my caballus research."

Joly laughs, cheerful as ever on the other end. "Please. You wouldn't be calling me if you _might_ have. Come on then, fill me in."

Combeferre does, starting from Eva spilling flour all over herself and talks about everything that's happened since, up until Courfeyrac's suggestion about using pigeons.

"That could work, actually," Joly muses. "Who did you say this guy was?"

"Just someone I met," Combeferre says, casually as he can. "He brought an injured dragon in, so he's staying around while she heals, so he can learn about how to take care of her. He's from the city."

"Sounds pretty switched on for a city-dweller."

"He is." Combeferre can hear the fondness in his own tone, and shakes his head. "That's not what I called you to talk about. I was wondering if you could help me procure some pigeons for my experiments."

"Oh, of course. I'll send them over for nothing, as a thank you for sharing your notes from the sample I sent you the other day." Joly hums in thought and then adds, "And a phone call. Professional curiosity aside, I really want to hear that this is working out for you, after so many false starts. You're the only good friend I have in our field of work, you know."

"Yeah, right," Combeferre laughs. "You have your hot assistant with the shaved head. What was his name?"

"Bossuet." The name is said so fondly that Combeferre doesn't doubt that Joly's finally managed to ask him out on a date. "Besides, it sounds like you have a hot assistant too. Or the hots for your assistant, at the very least."

"Don't do this to me," Combeferre groans. "Not you too. He isn't my assistant. This is a temporary arrangement. Everyone seems to be forgetting that."

"Yourself included?" Joly asks and damn him, he has no right being so perceptive when they're not even sitting face to face.

"Yeah. Myself included. Which is something I really shouldn't be doing right now. Or ever." Rubbing a hand over his face, Combeferre sighs. "I need to get back to work. Thanks for the pigeons. I'll let you know how things go."

"Good luck," Joly tells him. "I'll talk to you soon."

Putting his phone away, Combeferre sits there on the floor and buries his face in his hands, letting himself acknowledge the fact that he's exhausted. He's still sitting there when Courfeyrac finds him, coming in to call him to lunch. He rushes over, fussing over Combeferre and it's—nice. It's nice to be cared for, it's nice to have someone insist that he shouldn't push himself too hard. 

It's also temporary. Courfeyrac might be staying for an extra week, but that's all. He'll leave, and Combeferre already knows he'll miss him sorely. There's no need to make it any worse than it already is.

:·:

The pigeons that Combeferre needs for his experiments arrive a few days later, and Courfeyrac volunteers to take care of most duties at the shelter. Combeferre looks like he needs as much time to focus on his research as possible and he's grateful for Courfeyrac's help, that much is obvious.

They pass another week like this, with Combeferre shut inside with Eva and sometimes Leo too, trying out different ways of capturing data on their fire-breath. He's managed to get a temperature reading so far, which look fairly consistent between both dragons. He's also captured video of both of them actually breathing fire, as well as a lot of other data that Courfeyrac doesn't quite understand. 

He dutifully takes care of the other dragons and pulls Combeferre away from his work to take breaks, to eat, to sleep. They're both kept busy, but it's a _good_ kind of busy that Courfeyrac is afraid he'll grow used to. 

Jehan drops by one afternoon, towards the end of Courfeyrac's second week here. Courfeyrac is patching up two dragons who went a little too far with their play fighting, dabbing antiseptic along their scratches, wearing thick gloves in case the dragons bite.

"Good afternoon," Courfeyrac greets when he's done bandaging the dragons up. "Combeferre's doing experiments all afternoon, if you're after him."

"I'm here to visit you." Jehan smiles. "Care to go for a walk? I do love Combeferre's backyard."

Byron waddles off to play with Alex as soon as they see each other and Titania flies over to join them after a moment too. Courfeyrac turns to Jehan with a smile, holding the gate open for them. 

"I heard you're staying for another week," Jehan comments, hands in their pockets as they walk. "Combeferre and Feuilly have been good friends for a long time—long before Feuilly got Leo. They talk a lot."

Courfeyrac feels irrationally pleased at the thought that they talk about _him_. It must show in his expression, because Jehan's smile grows.

"You've been here for a while already," Jehan continues. "I've gotten used to seeing your face around, you know."

"It's just so that Combeferre has time to teach me how to handle dragons," Courfeyrac says, suddenly feeling the need to justify himself. "He hasn't had the time recently because of his research."

"Forgive me if I'm wrong, but you seem to be managing multiple dragons just fine. You've been feeding and exercising them—and you were even patching them up after they hurt themselves, just then. You're actually better at that than I am. Are you really staying just so you can learn about dragon-handling?"

"It's not what you think," Courfeyrac says hurriedly.

"And what am I thinking?" Jehan's tone is serene as ever, but there's a considering look in their eyes. "Or more importantly, what do you feel?" 

Courfeyrac frowns, not knowing how to answer that. They get along easily, and they're much more comfortable around each other now. They only really get to spend time together during meals, or in front of the fireplace before bed when they read in each other's company. Courfeyrac feels his face growing warmer as he thinks about how they'd started off sitting on opposite ends of the couch with the dragons between them, but now they end up with their sides pressed against each other while the dragons sprawl all over them. He's always been a tactile person, but he touches Combeferre a lot, squeezing his shoulder or his arm, or just leaning into his side for no reason at all.

"You have the answer, don't you?"

"No." Courfeyrac shakes his head. "No, no, no, it's not like that. It can't be like that."

Tilting their head to the side, Jehan hums in thought. "Can't it?"

Courfeyrac doesn't reply, because the sudden burst of longing makes his chest ache, makes it difficult to breathe. He shakes his head again and Jehan sighs.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up in the first place. Why don't you tell me about how Titania is doing?"

It's an obvious distraction and Courfeyrac gladly takes it, but he can't stop thinking about Combeferre for the rest of the afternoon. Jehan spends an hour with him but even after they leave, Courfeyrac's thoughts are a tangled mess of Combeferre, of longing, of his sense warring with his emotions.

Courfeyrac's always listened to his heart over his brain. He knows himself well enough to recognise when he's fighting a losing battle.

If Combeferre notices that Courfeyrac is distracted when they eat dinner that night, he makes no mention of it. Enjolras gives Courfeyrac a knowing look, when Combeferre is out of the room and he doesn't say anything, but he doesn't need to for Courfeyrac to know that _he_ knows. Courfeyrac shifts uncomfortably, because Combeferre might be well-liked around town, but Enjolras is very clearly his best friend. As easy it is to get along with him, Courfeyrac can't help but feel a little intimidated right now.

But then Enjolras smiles at him. It's a small twitch of his lips, but it's enough. Courfeyrac finally finds that he can breathe again, and he raises his glass to his lips to hide the grin that he just can't hold back.

Once Enjolras has gone home and the two of them are curled up on the couch, crowded together because of the dragons, elbowing each other for attention to share excerpts of what they're reading, Courfeyrac stops and lets himself consider his options.

He'll be gone in another week. He can hide his feelings until then, or try and bottle them up, unsure if they'll burst out of him before he goes. Or he can act on them.

The way Combeferre is looking at him, with his glasses slipping down his nose and a fond smile on his lips, makes Courfeyrac's decision for him.

Combeferre's free hand, which he'd used to point out a specific paragraph in his book earlier, is resting on his leg. Courfeyrac reaches for it, brushing their fingers together. In an instant, Combeferre goes still, eyes going from his book to Courfeyrac. With a deep breath, Courfeyrac presses their palms together, holding Combeferre's gaze.

With a shaky breath, Combeferre's fingers wrap around Courfeyrac's, squeezing gently. He ventures a smile and Courfeyrac returns it, finds that he can't quite get himself to _stop_ smiling now that he's started. Combeferre can't either, holding his book to his face.

"Hey, that's not fair." Courfeyrac tugs on Combeferre's book. "I want to see."

"See what?" Combeferre asks, putting his book down. His other hand is still holding onto Courfeyrac's tightly. "Me grinning like an idiot?"

"It's not like I'm in any position to judge right now." Courfeyrac shuts his book, placing it to the side. "Besides, it's cute."

"Cute," Combeferre repeats. "Just what I always wanted."

"Please, you're an incredibly hot, nerdy dragonologist. With a really cute smile. One I could definitely do with more of."

"You make me smile a lot." Tugging on Courfeyrac's hand to pull him closer, Combeferre's smile grows. "I usually save it for after you've left the room, though."

Eva snorts from her position on the other end of the couch, as if to confirm Combeferre's words. Courfeyrac laughs. "Really?"

"Okay, we're putting the dragons to bed," Combeferre decides. "Then we're going to talk about this."

They get as far as ushering their dragons to their sleeping spaces, all four of them being incredibly cooperative. As soon as they're alone, Combeferre turns to Courfeyrac.

"I know we should really talk, but—"

"—Can I kiss you?" Courfeyrac asks, biting his lip.

Laughing softly, Combeferre takes a step closer, his fingers trailing over Courfeyrac's jaw before leaning into him. 

Combeferre kisses him firmly, like he's certain of what he wants, like he's certain that he wants _this_. Courfeyrac supposes that he shouldn't be surprised by that at all, but then Combeferre takes another half-step forward, pressing their bodies against each other and Courfeyrac suddenly finds coherent thought very difficult.

They end up with Courfeyrac's back against the wall, his fingers in Combeferre's hair as they kiss hungrily. Every time Courfeyrac thinks that perhaps they should talk about this, the drag of Combeferre's teeth against his skin scatters his thoughts all over again.

"Okay," Courfeyrac gasps out, pulling away from Combeferre just enough so they can look in each other's eyes. "I really, really want you, and I'm going to hazard a guess that it's mutual. So maybe we should do something about that, and then we'll talk about the rest later?"

"Yeah." Combeferre kisses Courfeyrac again. "Sounds good. Let's go."

They end up in Combeferre's bed, hurriedly undressing each other. Combeferre's lamp bathes the room in a dim, yellow glow and he's half obscured by shadows as Courfeyrac pushes him onto his back and straddles him, but his face is lit. Courfeyrac maintains eye contact as he reaches for the lube, slicking his fingers and pushing them into himself. He doesn't look away once as he slowly, carefully stretches himself open, not until he reaches for Combeferre's hand, guiding it closer to help.

"Like this?" Combeferre murmurs, curving his fingers gently. 

Courfeyrac is shaking, desperate, and incredibly glad that he had the forethought to keep a condom in easy reach. He tears it open, rolling it onto Combeferre's cock before stroking his slick hand across the length of it. He watches Combeferre's expression as guides it into him, smiling as Combeferre tips his head back against his pillow with a low groan.

Courfeyrac rides him slowly, hips rocking as his hands find Combeferre's, gripping onto them tightly. Combeferre is watching him with open adoration and Courfeyrac doesn't know what to do with that, so he just focuses on riding Combeferre harder, until their arms are wrapped around each other, Combeferre's thrusts making Courfeyrac's breath catch in his throat. Combeferre swears, his voice husky, reaching between their bodies to wrap his fingers around Courfeyrac's cock. 

" _Combeferre_ ," Courfeyrac gasps, pressing open-mouthed kisses against Combeferre's neck. "Fuck yeah."

They moan for each other as they come, slow to pull apart. Courfeyrac rolls off Combeferre, lying beside him and panting softly. He watches as Combeferre throws his condom out, lazily wiping them both off with the corner of his bed sheet.

"You're going to regret that tomorrow morning," Courfeyrac teases lightly, but he can't quite ignore the fear that it's not going to be the only thing Combeferre regrets once the morning comes.

Leaning over, Combeferre gives him a gentle, lingering kiss. "I'm not going to regret any of this tomorrow morning."

Courfeyrac wraps his arm over Combeferre with a smile, falling asleep to the feeling of Combeferre holding him close.

:·:

Combeferre wakes as the first light of the morning shines through his window and it takes him a moment to register the fact that he's not alone in bed.

The memories from last night come to him in a rush and he shuts his eyes again with a heavy sigh. He doesn't regret any of it, just as he'd promised Courfeyrac last night. That doesn't make him any less afraid of how it's going to change their dynamic now.

Beside him, Courfeyrac stirs. He has his face pressed against Combeferre's shoulder and shifts, yawning as he blinks his eyes open.

"Oh, good morning."

"'Morning," Combeferre replies, bracing himself for the awkwardness. Instead, Courfeyrac kisses his shoulder and smiles sleepily at him.

"Did you sleep well?" Courfeyrac asks, and the hand he has resting on Combeferre's chest strokes idle circles against his skin. 

"I did." The feeling of Courfeyrac's hand stroking down his chest has his eyes fluttering shut, and he forces them open again. "You?"

Courfeyrac hums in agreement, his hand pausing just over Combeferre's stomach. "…Can I?"

With a nod, Combeferre lets out a breath he didn't even realise he'd been holding when Courfeyrac's fingers wrap around his cock, coaxing it to full hardness. He shuts his eyes again, mouth falling open with a gasp. He doesn't thrust up into Courfeyrac's touch, but it's a close thing. 

Pausing for a moment, Courfeyrac fishes among the blankets for the bottle of lube, drizzling some directly onto Combeferre's cock, making him moan at the sensation. Then Courfeyrac's hand is back, stroking steadily. Combeferre comes with his fingers twisted in the sheets, with Courfeyrac's name on his lips. 

He reaches for Courfeyrac, to return the favour. Courfeyrac catches his wrist, kissing him. 

"We could shower together?" he suggests, smiling, and Combeferre is in so deep, because he knows he can't say no to that smile. 

Courfeyrac doesn't let him worry about it, though, as they slowly get ready together, spending longer in the shower than necessary, getting distracted as they dress each other. They feed the dragons breakfast before eating their own and Courfeyrac steals kisses throughout the morning, just often enough to be the right kind of distracting. 

"So maybe we should talk," Combeferre murmurs, because he isn't quite sure how they went from clearing up after breakfast to cuddling on the couch, and he really needs to get back to his research.

"Yeah," Courfeyrac replies, moving to get off Combeferre's lap. He looks surprised when Combeferre keeps him there, but then smiles brightly. "Okay, let's talk."

"I have no idea what I'm doing," Combeferre confesses, taking Courfeyrac's hand and squeezing gently. "I… don't do this. I don't make time for people in my life."

"You make time for everyone," Courfeyrac replies. "For Enjolras, for Feuilly, for—"

"But that's different." Kissing the corner of Courfeyrac's mouth, Combeferre sighs. "That's completely different to this. …I don't even know what this is."

"Well…" Courfeyrac begins, pausing in thought. He gives Combeferre a small smile. "Whatever it is, let's just focus on enjoying it, okay?"

It's not the answer Combeferre wants at all, but he doesn't really know _what_ he wants. They have a week together, and if Combeferre was going to ask Courfeyrac to stay for longer, it's too late for that now. Asking Courfeyrac to stay now will make it seem like Combeferre wants him here for all the wrong reasons and it's frustrating, because that's not the case at all, but he decides it's better to keep it to himself than try and explain it all. 

"Yeah," he says at length, and kisses Courfeyrac until he stops looking so concerned. "We can definitely do that."

"You need to get back to your research now, don't you?" Courfeyrac asks with a small smile. "I'll come and get you when lunch is ready." 

Combeferre spends the rest of the morning shut in his lab with Eva and Oberon, too distracted and irritated with himself to be productive. He has a week before Courfeyrac leaves, and probably leaves for good. Fuelling… whatever this is between them is a bad idea and he knows it, he knows how much it's going to hurt him later. Spending the rest of the week distancing himself from Courfeyrac before it happens, however, sounds just as painful.

"I'm an idiot," he informs Eva, running his hand over her smooth scales. "With the worst sense of timing in the entire world."

This is exactly what he's been trying to avoid for the last two weeks, because he knows that as soon as he gives himself permission to fall for Courfeyrac, he's going to fall hard. The only thing that worries him is the fact that he still doesn't quite know where they stand with each other. Courfeyrac is an openly affectionate person, but judging from the fond looks and easy contact, he supposes that at least it's something beyond physical attraction. He wishes that was enough to settle the uneasy feeling in his stomach. 

Eva picks up on Combeferre's distraction and head-butts him gently, giving him a patient look. He pulls her into a hug and smiles as she curls against him.

"You probably need a break, don't you?" He presses a kiss to the top of her head. "You've been a good girl, and we've been working hard. We should take the day off."

She nuzzles against him happily and he gets to his feet, packing his equipment away. When he opens the door to go back into the lounge room, he finds Courfeyrac sitting with Enjolras, their heads bowed as they talk. 

"—So just consider it," Enjolras is saying as Combeferre walks closer, clearly not having noticed him yet. "I know he won't ask."

"Ask what?" Combeferre speaks up, frowning a little at the way they both guiltily look up. 

"Are you finished already?" Courfeyrac smiles at him, bright enough to momentarily distract him. "You're early. I haven't even started making lunch yet—"

"That's alright, I'm not hungry," Combeferre murmurs as he sits down on Courfeyrac's other side, taking his hand. He keeps his touch light enough that Courfeyrac can pull away if he wants, but he's pleased when Courfeyrac holds on tightly. "I just thought that Eva could do with a break."

"Eva," Courfeyrac raises an eyebrow, seeing right through him. "Just her?"

"…Okay, I needed a break too," Combeferre admits, and is rewarded with a kiss to his cheek. "I don't mind putting my research on hold for a while. I thought that maybe…"

What Combeferre wants is to spend the rest of his week with Courfeyrac, not having to worry about work and trying not to worry about the end of the week. He doesn't quite know how to put that in words without feeling like an idiot.

"I've decided," Enjolras speaks up, because he's a good friend and knows exactly when Combeferre needs his help. "You're taking the rest of the week off work."

"The whole week?" Courfeyrac asks, and he looks so excited that Combeferre can't help but smile fondly. 

"Yeah, that sounds good." Combeferre murmurs, wrapping his arm around Courfeyrac's shoulders. "Good call."

Enjolras smiles, getting to his feet. "I'll leave you to it. I have a meeting I need to prepare for in an hour anyway."

"What do you want to do?" Combeferre asks, once Enjolras leaves. 

"Anything." Courfeyrac kisses him. "I don't care, as long as I get to spend time with you. That's all I want. I was going to play with the dragons before I started making lunch. They'll be so happy to have you join them."

"And if I asked you what you were talking to Enjolras about earlier…?"

Courfeyrac smiles, climbing into Combeferre's lap. He wraps his arms around Combeferre's shoulders, leaning in to kiss him.

"Please, Courfeyrac, don't try and distract me. I want an answer."

With a quiet sigh, Courfeyrac rests his chin on Combeferre's shoulder. "Okay, I won't. Enjolras doesn't want me to go."

"…Oh." Combeferre feels his heart skip a beat. "And?"

Pulling back, Courfeyrac smiles at him, but there's something in his eyes that Combeferre can't quite read. "I said I'll think about it."

"Good." Combeferre tries not to feel too excited. He wraps his arms around Courfeyrac, pulling him in for a kiss. "I'm glad that you are."

Courfeyrac smiles into their kiss and Combeferre might not be completely reassured, but he's getting there.

:·:

The problem, Courfeyrac thinks as he lies in bed beside Combeferre, is that he doesn't want to stay because Enjolras asked him to. He likes the fact that Enjolras _did_ , that he approached Courfeyrac with a practical solution that would make everyone happy. He just wants Combeferre to ask.

The week passes, and Combeferre doesn't tire of him. They spend almost all of their time together and it's _good_ , in a way that Courfeyrac hadn't quite been expecting. Their mutual attraction aside, they make good friends and Courfeyrac has known that since the very first day. It's still nice to see proof of that, in the companionable silence between them, the in-jokes that they share, the way they understand each other without the need for words.

Courfeyrac falls in love. Combeferre still doesn't ask him to stay.

Exactly three weeks after Courfeyrac first arrived, with Titania in his arms, he packs his bags. 

"Courfeyrac?" Combeferre finds him, a flicker of hurt in his eyes as he sees the half-packed bag. 

"I think I need to go," Courfeyrac says, not quite meeting Combeferre's eyes.

"But…" Combeferre steps into the room, making an aborted movement to reach for Courfeyrac. "Enjolras said you were thinking of staying."

"I was." The problem is that Courfeyrac has done this before. He's fallen for people, harder than they've fallen for him. He's tried making it work anyway and he doesn't know if he can do it again. He doesn't want to lose the friends he's made here but he doesn't want to make the same mistakes with different people. "But I think it's better if I go."

Combeferre doesn't look like he agrees, his lips pressed together into a thin line. For a moment, Courfeyrac wonders if Combeferre will ask him to stay.

"…Okay. If you want. Let me know if you need help, okay?"

For a brief moment, Courfeyrac feels his frustration burn through him, white-hot and painful in its intensity. He lets it pass, then smiles. "I'll let you know."

He has all of fifteen minutes before Enjolras drops by, clearly unhappy with him. 

"You said you were staying."

"I said I was thinking about it."

Enjolras' frown grows deeper. "Yes, but you also said you _wanted_ to stay."

"I do," Courfeyrac sighs. "I still do. But it's not that simple. We both know it."

Shaking his head, Enjolras folds his arms across his chest. "Does _he_?"

Courfeyrac looks away, not replying. 

"Damn it, Courfeyrac. He called me as soon as you told him you were leaving. He wants you to stay. You want to stay. Before you came to this town, I didn't even think Combeferre was interested in anything beyond his dragons, and I've known him my whole life." Enjolras is difficult to ignore at the best of times. When he's angry, it's impossible. "What do you want from him? What does he need to say, to keep you from leaving?"

"There aren't any magic words, and even if there were, telling you what they were would stop them from meaning anything." Courfeyrac smiles sadly. "I won't lie, I'm still thinking about coming back. I just… need a while."

"Should I tell that to Combeferre?" Enjolras asks. "Or should I not give him false hope?"

"I don't know," Courfeyrac sighs. "I really don't, Enjolras. Maybe we'll get over each other if we stop sharing space every second of every day. Maybe that's what we need."

"Maybe you'll just miss him," Enjolras counters. "Maybe you'll miss all of this, all of us. And if you do…"

"Then I'll come back," Courfeyrac replies. "I promise."

"Good," Enjolras replies. "That's all I need. It won't be enough for Combeferre, but I'll remain optimistic."

Combeferre is shut in his lab, and Courfeyrac doesn't know if he's working or if he just wants to be left alone, but once he finishes packing his bag, he knocks on the door and pushes it open.

He finds Combeferre sitting at his computer, with Eva and Alex curled up on the floor and Oberon sitting on his shoulder, as always. Titania wanders into the room, cuddling up against Eva and Alex, saying her goodbyes.

"So," Combeferre says, turning to Courfeyrac and standing up. "You're leaving, then."

"Yeah." Courfeyrac hesitates before stepping closer, pressing a light kiss to Combeferre's lips. "Thank you for everything." 

"You have my number. Give me a call if you need any help with Titania. Or… if you just feel like it. I would really prefer if this isn't the last time we see each other."

"It won't be," Courfeyrac promises. "I'll call."

Combeferre leans forward, taking Courfeyrac's face into his hands and kissing him hard. They're slow to pull apart and when they do, he takes a breath, like he's about to speak. Courfeyrac lets himself hope, for just one moment, that Combeferre will ask him to stay. Just one word, and Courfeyrac knows he'll drop everything and change his plans.

Instead, Combeferre gives him a tight-lipped smile. "I'll see you later, then."

Combeferre and Enjolras walk Courfeyrac out to his car. Jehan, Bahorel and Feuilly are there too, ready to see him off. Courfeyrac hugs each and every one of them, including their respective dragons. With one last glance at Combeferre, he puts his bag into his car and opens the passenger door for Titania. 

He drives, turning his music on as soon as he's out of the town, playing it loud enough that it drowns out his own thoughts. Titania curls into a ball in the passenger seat, leaning into Courfeyrac's touch when he reaches over to pet her.

Perhaps he should have made some sort of plan for where to go, but Courfeyrac ends up driving aimlessly until the roads start to look familiar, and he realises he's heading back to the city. 

After spending so long away from it, the city looks like an unfamiliar concrete beast, even from a distance. The fence he was once used to is an ugly, unwelcoming sight now, rising high all around the outskirts of the city, built so that even the highest-flying dragons aren't able to get in. Courfeyrac slows his car to a stop about fifteen minutes away from the entry gates, turning his music off. 

His phone, which has been sitting ignored in his cup-holder for the three-hour drive, tells him that he has a missed call, and a voicemail. Both are from Combeferre, three hours ago.

"Fuck," he mutters. 

He gets out of the car, because he's been sitting for far too long. Titania climbs out with him, jumping onto his shoulder and curling up there as he brings his phone to his ear. He impatiently waits through the menu of his message bank, and then Combeferre's voicemail begins.

"Hi, Courfeyrac, it's me. I'm sorry. I'm selfish, I'm a coward, and I don't want you to go. You have every right to tell me I'm too late, or to disregard this entirely, but Courfeyrac, I… I want you to stay. Please stay."

With shaking hands, Courfeyrac replays the message. It doesn't change. It's still Combeferre asking him to stay, most probably recorded as Courfeyrac was driving away.

" _Fuck_ ," Courfeyrac says, louder this time, and has the overwhelming need to break something.

He flings his phone at the ground before he can stop himself, and stares in disbelief as he effectively destroys the quickest way of getting in contact with Combeferre.

"Idiot," he mutters, perhaps at himself, perhaps at Combeferre, most likely both of them. "You're a fucking idiot."

His heart is telling him to go back. Listening to his heart is what got him here in the first place, but Courfeyrac is inclined to listen to it anyway.

"Alright, Titania, here is what we're going to do," he announces. "We're going into the city, we're going to my apartment, we're going to get my stuff and then we're going to go—home, I think. Home? That seems like the right word for it."

Titania chirps, sounding pleased. He kisses the top of her head and gets back into the car, driving up to the gate. The guard takes one look at Titania and frowns.

"Dragons aren't allowed in the city."

"She's with me," Courfeyrac replies. "She won't cause any trouble. I'll keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't fly off. I'm not going to be in the city for long."

The guard looks unimpressed and repeats, "Dragons aren't allowed in the city. You can go in if you want. It stays out here."

"Hey," someone behind Courfeyrac speaks up. It's a short, stocky man with wild, curling hair that falls into his face and bags under his eyes that make him look older than he probably is. "It's just one dragon, and she's an infant too. It's not a big deal."

"Dragons aren't allowed in the city."

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Courfeyrac mutters, deciding that he doesn't need half the things in his apartment this badly anyway. He can send for the more vital belongings he doesn't already have later, if he needs to. "Forget it."

"Hey," the short man touches Courfeyrac's elbow. "I could watch her for you, if you like. I'm not at skeevy as I look, I promise."

Courfeyrac frowns as he considers it. "You could tell Titania's still young. You're familiar with dragons?"

The man nods. "Definitely. She's a terrarius, maybe about two months old? Titania's a nice name, by the way. I knew a dragon who—never mind. If you're just going to be quick in the city, then I'll just wait out here until you get back. I mean, hey, she might be young but even if you couldn't trust me, I'm pretty sure your dragon could take care of herself. Terrarius dragons are loyal, she'll probably go looking for you herself if she thinks you've been gone too long."

Titania puffs her chest out proudly in reply. Courfeyrac laughs softly, and holds his hand out. "I'm Courfeyrac."

"Grantaire," the man replies. "I'll be waiting right by that short wall over there. I'll give you my number if you'd like."

Courfeyrac takes it down on a scrap of paper. Surely, he can salvage his SIM card from the smashed mess that is his phone and find one of his older ones somewhere in his apartment. He might lose his recent numbers—like Combeferre's—but at least he'll be able to use something.

Courfeyrac might be sentimental most of the time, but he's ruthless as he packs the contents of his apartment into his suitcase. His photo albums go in first, along with any clothes that he didn't already take with him when he first left. The bookshelf remains untouched, but only because he promises himself that he'll get the contents of it sent to him later. 

It takes him twenty minutes all up, from the moment he enters the city to the moment he exits. Apparently, that's twenty minutes too long.

Grantaire is still there, but the way he's slumped against the wall makes Courfeyrac get out of his car and start running towards him. The air smells faintly of smoke and Courfeyrac's heart stops for a moment when he realises that Grantaire has his arms curled around his chest, protecting Titania.

"So," Grantaire says as Courfeyrac approaches, "next time I decide to dragon-sit near a city full of anti-dragon sentiment, I'm going to make sure I'm not standing right outside the gate."

"What happened?" Courfeyrac asks, gasping sharply as he realises that Titania's wing is broken—again. " _No_ , no, no, she just finished healing from the last time she broke this wing."

"The guards," Grantaire spits, and it's only then that Courfeyrac realises that the two guards he went past on his way in are no longer there. "They attacked her, or tried to. I protected her, until they started attacking me. Then she scared them off."

"Scared them off?" Courfeyrac takes Titania into his arms, his heart breaking at the sound of her crying. His hands are shaking, but she cuddles against his chest anyway, curled up into a ball except for the wing she can't fold in.

"Yeah." Grantaire sounds excited now, which makes Courfeyrac look up. "She _breathed fire_ at them. It was thought that—"

"—Caballus dragons are the only ones who have been seen breathing fire," Courfeyrac finishes, his eyes going wide. "Oh _wow_ , Titania."

She chirps in reply, and Courfeyrac can feel her puff her chest up again. He needs to tell Combeferre about this. More importantly, he needs to ask Combeferre to take another look at Titania's wing.

"I know a guy," Grantaire says, clearing his throat, "who could probably fix Titania's wing. If she's already broken it before, you'd probably want someone with a good amount of expertise. Well, I know _two_ guys, but the second is even further away than the first, so we're going to have to settle. It's a bit of a drive."

"I'll go anywhere I need to," Courfeyrac replies immediately. Keeping one arm around Titania, he digs his car keys out of his pocket. "Here. Please tell me you can drive, I honestly don't think I could keep the steering wheel straight right now."

Grantaire gets into the driver's seat, and Courfeyrac moves his belongings into the back so he can sit in the passenger seat with Titania in his lap. She doesn't have any other signs of injury beyond her wing and Courfeyrac supposes that he's grateful for that, at the very least. She falls asleep in his arms, her crying fading into whimpers, then intermittent hitches in her breath as she sleeps.

Courfeyrac leans back in his seat and watches the road ahead of them, and that's when it finally occurs to him.

"…Grantaire."

"Yeah?"

"No, it's just…" Courfeyrac turns to look at him. "I've been trying to place where I've heard that name before."

Grantaire doesn't reply, but his grip on the steering wheel grows tighter.

"I've spent the last three weeks living with Combeferre," Courfeyrac says, not taking his eyes off Grantaire. "Is that where you're taking us?"

All he gets in response is one tight nod.

"Even though you know… who else you're going to see there."

"Titania needs the best medical attention she can receive," Grantaire replies. "Combeferre is the best. If he knows you, then he's probably less likely to set his dragons on me. Maybe."

"He wouldn't have either way."

Grantaire laughs, and it's an ugly, unhappy sound. "You haven't seen him when he's angry. He scares me shitless when he wants to. Then again, I deserve it."

Courfeyrac desperately wants to ask, but he holds his tongue. It's not his place to push for a story that has nothing to do with him.

"You've met him, haven't you?" Grantaire asks, and there's no question as to who he means.

"I have, yeah."

"How is he?"

Courfeyrac considers this for a moment, then replies, "Sad. Claudia misses you desperately."

Grantaire laughs shakily. "Fuck."

"You don't have to go back if you don't want," Courfeyrac tells him. "We can leave you somewhere, and I'll drive the rest of the way there."

"It's fine." Grantaire shakes his head. "I offered, didn't I? I know what I'm getting myself into."

Courfeyrac nods. "If you're sure."

"I am," Grantaire replies, and keeps driving.

:·:

"How do you deal with this?" Combeferre mutters, around his fifth mug of coffee for the day. The sun has set now, but every time Enjolras starts protesting about Combeferre making another mug of coffee, he's given a quelling look. "How do you just… feel like this all the time?"

"You don't always feel it," Enjolras replies, placing his hand on Combeferre's shoulder. "It's not always at the front of your mind, it just feels that way right now because it's new."

Combeferre shuts his eyes and lets out a shaky sigh. "Being heartbroken _sucks_."

Enjolras opens his mouth to reply, but the loud squeal of car tyres outside makes him stop. Combeferre rises to his feet immediately, running out of the door to investigate. He can hear Enjolras behind him, but then he sees the car, and freezes in his tracks.

Enjolras collides into him with an, _oof_ , but Combeferre barely registers it. He's staring at the car, at Courfeyrac coming out of the passenger seat with Titania held in his arms. He can tell that she's injured, from Courfeyrac's face, from the way he's holding her.

He doesn't even think to look at the driver until he hears Enjolras breathe, " _No_."

Grantaire is standing by the car, looking awkward, his gaze fixed on Enjolras, who is walking towards him. Combeferre looks away from them, back to Courfeyrac, stepping forward to take Titania from his arms. 

"Inside," Combeferre tells him. "We'll leave these two to themselves."

Claudia is asleep on the couch inside, and Combeferre leaves her that way. She'll want to know that Grantaire is back, but he and Enjolras have their issues to sort out, and Combeferre knows that will take a while.

"What happened?" Combeferre asks, as he puts Titania down on the examination table.

"City guards," Courfeyrac replies, and he's shaking with fear, anger, maybe both. "They wouldn't let me in with her, so I left her outside with Grantaire, because he offered to wait with her. They were both attacked while I was gone. He protected her."

Combeferre nods, examining Titania's wing, murmuring apologies every time he makes her cry. "He's kind like that."

"He thinks you hate him," Courfeyrac says, pacing now. 

Combeferre snorts quietly. "He probably also thinks Enjolras hates him. I'll need the splints and bandages again."

Courfeyrac gets them out, handing them over immediately. Their hands brush against each other and Combeferre grits his teeth. Courfeyrac is here for help. He didn't return when Combeferre asked, didn't even reply to the voicemail. It's enough of an answer for him.

"They love each other a lot," Courfeyrac comments.

"Love isn't always enough," Combeferre replies. He makes sure that the splint is more rigid against Titania's wing this time, so that it heals right. 

"No, I suppose not." 

Outside the examination room, Enjolras and Grantaire are arguing, and Combeferre is surprised by just how comforting a sound it is. They must be in the lounge room, which means that Claudia will discover that Grantaire is home soon enough. Their argument lapses into silence, before picking up again.

"Should we check on them?"

Combeferre shakes his head. "Leave them. They're angry at each other. Rightfully so, too. Grantaire might have left, but it was Enjolras who drove him away."

Courfeyrac stares in surprise. "I would have thought that you'd be on Enjolras' side."

Finishing with the splint and bandages, Combeferre steps back and examines his work, letting Titania test her mobility. He turns to Courfeyrac, who still looks as shaken as he did when he arrived, and gives him a reassuring smile. "Titania will be okay. I'll want to keep the splint on for longer this time than we did the last. Just in case."

Courfeyrac nods. "Thank you."

"Do you really want to talk about Enjolras and Grantaire?" Combeferre asks, "or are we talking about them so we don't need to talk about other things?"

Courfeyrac takes a deep breath and looks up, meeting Combeferre's eyes. "I got your voicemail. I saw it three hours after I left, when I was outside the city."

"Did you listen to it?"

Courfeyrac laughs hollowly. "Twice. To make sure I wasn't hearing things."

"I'm sorry I didn't ask you when you were here," Combeferre tells him. "I know I should have, but I didn't want you to think I wanted you to stay because of the sex. I'm sorry—"

"Stop that," Courfeyrac says softly. "You don't have to apologise. I listened to your voicemail, I heard you ask me to stay, and I made up my mind. I would be here right now even if Titania wasn't attacked."

Combeferre blinks. "…Oh."

"I really like you, Combeferre. And Enjolras has been asking me to work with him. I was going to rent a place and move into town. That was my plan, except I originally thought I'd stay away for a little longer before coming back."

"I really like you too," Combeferre replies. "And you can stay here, you know. The guest room's yours. And we've been sleeping in the same bed for the past week anyway—not that we have to, if you don't want to."

Courfeyrac smiles. "I want to. I want to spend the night at your place and go to bed with you, but I also want my own space, at least while we're working this out. I want to learn all about you, I want to give us space, so we can grow."

"But you definitely want this?" Combeferre asks.

"So much," Courfeyrac breathes, wrapping his arms around Combeferre and holding on tightly. "You have no idea."

Pressing a kiss into Courfeyrac's hair, Combeferre smiles. "I think I might."

When they finally emerge from the examination room, with Titania sitting on Courfeyrac's shoulder, they discover Enjolras and Grantaire sitting on the couch, tightly holding onto each other's hands, heads bowed as they speak quietly. Claudia has draped herself over Grantaire's lap and looks happier than Courfeyrac has ever seen her.

"Oh," Courfeyrac remembers, his eyes going wide as he turns to Combeferre. "Titania did something amazing earlier. When the city guards were attacking Grantaire, and she protected him."

"Really?" Combeferre asks with a smile.

Courfeyrac beams. "She breathed fire. Like Eva, and Leo."

"Titania did?" Combeferre asks. He's trying to control his excitement, Courfeyrac can tell, but it slips into his tone all the same. "As in, Titania the terrarius, breathed fire?"

"Perhaps it's a defence mechanism across all breeds," Courfeyrac guesses. He kisses Combeferre's cheek. "Something worth looking into, maybe?"

"You realise this means I have _much_ more work to do."

"Yes."

"And it might just change the way all dragons are viewed," Combeferre continues.

Courfeyrac grins. "Yes. You're welcome."

Combeferre pulls Courfeyrac into a deep kiss. He's going to be incredibly busy, he can just feel it. But he also knows that with Courfeyrac here, he's going to be incredibly happy. That's all he can ask for.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Something's Not Right Here by OneRepublic. 
> 
> A _huge_ thank you to [annaroserae](http://annaroserae.tumblr.com/) for her help and hand-holding during this fic. And for bearing with me while I insisted on referring to this fic as "dogons."


End file.
